Filing-cabinet.



H. J. DAVIS.

FILING CABINET.

ArrLIoA'rIoN FILED 1113.9, 1910.

Patented June 28, 1910.

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H. I. DAVIS.

FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED mlm, 1910.

9629749., Y Patented June 28,1910

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HENRY JACKSON DAVIS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

FILING-CABINET.

Specieation of Letters Patent. Patented Jian@ 28, 11910).

Application led February 9, 1910. Serial No. 542,843.

'l To all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States,

JeHerson andI Be it known that I, HENRY J. DAVIS, a yresiding at Birmingham, in the county of State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inr Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to improvements in tiling cabinets the construction and advantages of whichwill be vhereil'ia'fter set forth, reference being had tothe annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the cabinet;l Fig. 2 is a front elevation, the major portion of the front of the cabinet being broken away to show the mechanism and arrangement of the parts; Fig, 3 a` vertical sectional View taken through one of the tilek boxes or holders; and Fig. 4 a perspective View of a spring preferably employed in connection with said file boxes.

The main object of the present `vinvention is to provide a filing cabinet in which the file.'

boxes .may be readily brought to a point where access may be lhad to the contents thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of such formthat the filev boxes or holders are brought in line with an opening formed in the forward portion or extension of the cabinet, the closure for such opening being so arranged that it may be thrown outwardly to form a shelf conti u-l ous to such opening and to the le box which n is then in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a file box of special form which will so stack the cards or jackets for containing the papers or the like, that the index on each and every one of them may be readily seenat a glance wheny such box or holder is brought intol position adjacent to the opening in the cabinet before mentioned.

The cabinet comprises -a substantially rec. tangular shaped structure ,comprising the back 1, the ends 2, the front 3 and the front base piece 4. At the lower portion, the

sides are' extended forwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to form or produce an extended base, the front of which is designated by 4. An opening is formed between the lower edge of the front 8, l'and the base 4, which opening is normally closed by a lcombmed door and shelf 5, hinged at its lower end to the upper edge lof the base 4, and when closed, inclining rearwardly, as clearly shown 1n Fig. 1. CVVhen the door is swung outwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, it forms a shelI' upon which the files or cards may be rested and examined.

The tile boxes are of the form best shown in Figs. 1 and'S. rlhey comprise an inclined bottom 6, a back 7, front 8, and end walls 9. The upper edges of the sides are inclined upwardly from the front to the rear and the upper edge-of the front is lower than the upper edge of the back. A series of cards or files indicated by 10, when placed in the box, will by reason of the inclined bottom, present a stepped arrangement at their upper edge, so that the index on each ofthem will be clearly in view. A bow-spring 11 or its equivalent, may be secured to the inside face of the front of the box, the upper free end of the spring bearing against the les or cards and serving to hold the same in position, so that'the indices thereon will always be in sight. A plurality of such boxes or receptacles is employed, and each box is provided upon its ends with brackets or lugs 12, adapt ed tend inwardly from endless sprocket chains 14 and 15.

JThe chain 15 is mounted adjacent to one end of the cabinet, while the chain 14 is mountedI in the opposite end. The chain 15 passes over ay pair of sprockets or idlers 16 and 17, carried by brackets secured within the `upper portion of the casing. The forward run of the chain passes downwardly between a pair of guides 18 and 19, secured to the end wall of the cabinet, the upper ends of said guides being flared out slightly to insure the free passage ofi-the lower end of the file box between the same. The chain then'passes beneath idler 20 mounted upon a bracket Q1, secured to the end wall of the casing adjacent to the opening formed at the upper' end of the base thereof. The chain thence passes forwardly beneath the opening and around an idler Q2, located, at the forward portion of the base, and thence downwardly and rearwardlyl about a sprocket hmounted upon a shaft 24, to which yis secured a worm Wheel 25. 'The chain passes from the sprocket 23 upwardly to the sprocket 1G. The-chain 14 is mounted in a similar manner and for convenience the sprockets aretdesignated by similar numerals, to which the exponent a has been affixed. Guides 18,a and 19a are likewise prothe clutch, and consequently the shaft, being ping and starting the motor similar to theV normally drivenby a motor 29, through a belt 30. If it be desired to operate the chains manually this may be readily accomplished by applying a crank to the outer end'of the shaft 27 (Fig. 1) which is squared for that purpose.

It is proposed to employ a device for stopconstruction shown in Letters Patent granted to P. G. Ault and myself under date of October 8, 1907, No. 867,804; means for starting the motor and bringing any one of the particular file boxes linto position where access may be had thereto througlrthe openings in the cabinet. To this end a bar 31 is located upon the forward face of the casing, said bar being provided with a series of numbers of graduation equal in number to the number of file boxes contained within the cabinet, said bar carrying a handle 32, which may be moved lengthwise of the bar to bring the inner end of the arm or handle into alinement with the stops or lugs 33, `one of which is mounted upon each of the boxes. As the handle is positioned upon the bar and moved, as set forth in the patent above noted, it willl bring the' motor into operation, and the motor will continue to run until the desired box is moved into position, or in line with the opening forlned in the forward portion of the casing. Th'e mechanism will then be operated so as to break the current, by reason of the stop or lug coming into contact with the handle and shifting the same, as is clearly set forth in the patent above referredv to. It is not deemed essential in the present case to illustrate all the mechanism and connections necessary to bring about the arrest of movement of the chains and the file boxes carried thereby. By extending the lower portion of the sides and thus producing a forwardly-extending base to the cabinet and having an opening formed in the upper forward portion of such extension, access may be readily had to any particular file box which may be brought into alinement with such opening. The location of the opening in the upperl forward extension of the base, when combined with the door or shelf 5, produces a structure which permits the ready handling of the various file-jackets or the like and enables them -to be readily withdrawn from the boxes, the contents exeeamo amined or new papers placed therein, and the tile returned to its particular box.

It is thought that the use andoperation of the apparatus will be understood from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is :y l

1". A filing cabinet provided4 with a base extending forward of the upper portion of -the cabinet, and having an opening in the.

upper portion of the base; a door or closure for said opening, adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom; a pair of endless chains mounted in the cabinet, the chains extend-.

ing forwardly during a portion of their run adjacent to the opening aforesaid; and a plurality of ile boxes mounted upon the.

chains and movable therewith, whereby any box may be brought to position beneath said opening for the examination or removal of its contents.

2. In combination with a filing cabinet, provided with a base extending outwardly beyond the main body thereof, said base having an opening in the upper portion thereof; a plurality of endless chains mounted within the cabinet, each of the chains having a portion of its run extending forwardly beneath the opening aforesaid; a plurality of file boxes carried by the chains, each of said boxes being open atits top and provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom; and means for moving said chains.

3. In combination with a tiling cabinetprovided with a base extending outwardly beyond'the body of the cabinet, said base having an opening in its upper portion, a pair of endless chainsmounted in the cabinet, each of said chains having a portion" of its run extending forwardly into the base and beneath the opening aforesaid; a plurality of tile boxes pivotally secured to said chains, each of said boxes being open at the top and provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom; means mounted within the box for holding files or the like whichl may be placed thereiniin proper position within the box; means for imparting movement to said chains; and a door .or

closure for the opening in the base. said HENRY JACKSON DAVIh.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES E. HoAG, FRANK REA. 

